The Washington, D.C. Chapter of ACM is hosting this special event featuring ACM President Dr. Vint Cerf, widely known for his efforts as co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols, vital foundational elements of the Internet computing architecture. Dr. Cerf will speak on the Internet’s design, evolution, and future prospects.

Dr. Cerf and his colleague Robert E. Kahn have received numerous awards for their work on the Internet protocols and their efforts to foster the Internet, including the National Medal of Technology, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the ACM Alan M. Turing award. The National Medal of Technology is the highest honor for technological achievement for American scientists, engineers, and innovators and is bestowed by the U.S. President. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award given by the United States to its citizens. The ACM Alan M. Turing award is ACM’s most prestigious technical award and is given for major contributions of lasting importance to computing.

The event organizers highlight these main themes as the basis for his presentation: “The Internet was designed 40 years ago and has been in operation for 30 years. It has evolved considerably, but its architecture is still pretty much as it was in its 1973 incarnation. We have learned a great deal about the applications of the Internet in the intervening decades, and it is clear that there is room for improvement and expansion in several dimensions. The Internet of Things is rapidly emerging; mobiles are everywhere; and the interplanetary internet is in nascent operation between the Earth and Mars. Security has become a major issue, as have authentication and integrity.”